This invention relates to a feeder for animals, of the type for feeding dry feed in particulate form, which includes a substantially horizontal shelf beneath a hopper so that the feed from the hopper is discharged onto the shelf and the amount of feed discharged is controlled by adjustment of the height of a lowermost edge of the hopper relative to the shelf. The shelf is located above a trough with a base and a front wall of the trough over which the animal can reach to take feed from the shelf and any feed which is moved from the shelf to the trough by the animal.
An example of a feeder of this type is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,660,508 of the present inventor and this type of feeder has become very successful and is widely known as a wet/dry feeder in view of the fact that the animal can take dry feed from the shelf of the feeder or can apply water into feed discharged into the trough to take the feed in the trough in wet condition.
It is also known to supply feed wholly in dry form in what is known as a dry feeder. The arrangement for discharging the feed from the hopper is somewhat similar in that there is provided a lowermost edge of the hopper which is positioned relative to the base of the hopper at a distance which can be adjusted so as to control the amount of feed which falls from the hopper onto the horizontal surface defined by the base or defined by a raised portion of the base.
Feeders of this type can either be double sided that is the feeder has two sides each of which can be accessed by a different set of animals so that generally the feeder is placed in a fence line to supply feed to animals in two separate pens. Other types of feeders are however single sided so that they have generally a vertical rear wall with the trough presented forwardly of that rear wall and the animals accessing the feeder only from the trough side of the rear wall.